Memories
by BookLover.Cx
Summary: Draco and Hermione are two different sides to the same coin. Will one set of memories make Hermione feel whole again? (Rubbish summary) (Please, leave feedback! Let me know how I can improve! C. x) AU : DRAMIONE : 8TH YEAR HOGWARTS
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter Characters. Bless J.K. Rowling for making our lives better. **

Hermione Granger tapped her fingers against the desk irritably. She knew coming back for her 8th Year at Hogwarts would be hard, but not like this. The memories that surrounded her were what played on her mind the most, her schoolwork almost seeming too easy now that she had fought a battle against one of the darkest Wizards ever to exist.

Hermione sighed in frustration as she jotted down another note for her next Defence Against the Dark Arts homework even though she already knew the answer. Over the course of the past few months, the Misistry of Magic had intergrated new topics into the curriculum for the students to learn. Hermione had been overjoyed to discover that there was something new to learn about that others had not had the opportunity to do before, but when she discovered the new topic that was being taught to 7th and 8th years, her heart sank. Horcrux's. After spending nearly a year of her life finding and destroying those made by Voldemort, Hermione was fed up with them.

She did not regret helping Harry and Ron hunt for them, but coming back to Hogwarts was meant to restore normality. Finish her education then go and find a job that suited her just fine. Now she was reliving the past whilst barely looking at the future.

Hermione glanced around the classroom, observing those around her. Ginny sat to her right, a scowl on her face which mirrored hers. Once the war had finished Harry had told Ginny what he had been doing for the past year of their lives and why he broke their now re-forming relationship off. To say Ginny wasn't pleased with the subject choice was an understatement. There was only one other person in the room who looked just as annoyed at the subject as Hermione and Ginny: Draco Malfoy.

Draco Malfoy was one of the few Slytherins of Hermione's year to come back to school, but Hermione has the feeling that he did not want to be anywhere near the castle after what had happened. Over the summer, he and the rest of the captured Death Eaters who were not killed during the Second Wizarding War - now known as the Battle of Hogwarts - were trialed to determine their fait. Even though the Golden Trio has given their statements as to how Draco had refused to tell his parents and Bellatrix that is was them who the Snatchers had captured and taken to Malfoy Manner, as well as that he had not cast one unforgivable during the whole of the Battle of Hogwarts, he was still sentenced to a year and a half of limited Magic and a compulsory year to finish his education.

Hermione almost felt sorry for Draco Malfoy in a way. No, she did not forgive him at all for all the things he said and done to them over the years, but having the freedom of magic taken away form you is something entirely different. She absentmindedly scratched at her arm, the word _Mudblood_ still red and angry after nearly seven months. She knew it wasn't going to fade, but having it there made her resent Draco Malfoy even more. He had made her believe for years that being a 'Mudblood' was her true identity, even if she did not let her emotions show it. Now having the word scarred onto her arm sealed her identity and would most likely forever remind her of who she truly was. Not Hermione Granger, the smartest witch of her age, but Hermione Granger, the 'Mudblood'.

Chairs scraping across the floor woke her up from her thoughts. Everyone was packing up for the end of the lesson, which happened to be the last of the day. Soon, Hermione would be drowning herself in the homework she was given, staying up late into the night before getting up ridiculously early.

"You okay?" Ginny's voice broke through to her brain causing Hermione to snap her head up to face her red-headed friend. She still must have looked dazed because Ginny sighed. "You're not still thinking about Ron are you? I know he's my brother and a giant pain and a complete idiot for doing what he did, but you need to forget about him. Now come on. Let's go to dinner." Ginny not only picked up her belongings, but most of Hermione's too, leaving her no choice but to tag along to the great hall.

Ron had broken up with Hermione a week before Hogwarts had started a month and a half ago. He had claimed that she was 'too bossy' and always telling him that he was useless. Hermione had told him that, but that was when it came to chopping up vegetables for a soup she was making for Molly Weasley when she had come down with the flu in the middle of the summer - very unusual really. But a day before she went back off to Hogwarts without Ron and Harry by her side, the real reason why Ron broke up with her presented itself. Okay, herself. He showed up to the weekly Sunday brunch - which this year was combined with a leaving dinner for Hermione and Ginny - with Susan Bones on his arm. Now, before then, Hermione had very little dislike towards Susan, a Hufflepuff with great talent, but when she openly kissed Ron in front of her, she could see that this relationship had been going on for more than a week. Hermione had not spoken to Ron since. She had received a birthday card and a few letters from Ron since the beginning of term, but they were nothing worth responding to. It was all 'Susan this' and 'Susan that', which did not interest Hermione in the slightest.

"Hermione? Hello?" A hand waved in front of her face. Hermione blinked. She had walked to the bottom of the grand staircase and stopped. She had no idea how she had gotten there without paying attention, but it had happened. "What's wrong? Do you need to go and see Madam Pomfrey?" Ginny pressed a hand against Hermione's forehead, Hermione instantly batting it off.

"I'm fine Gin. Just lost in my thoughts. What were you saying?"

"I was saying that Malfoy keeps looking at you and has yet to move from the other side of the hallway ever since you stopped, but apparently whatever is happening inside your head is more important."

Hermione snapped her eyes away from Ginny and glanced pointedly around the hallway, finally landing on Malfoy. He was leaning against the stone wall that lead to the dungeons, one eyebrow raised in concern. Brown eyes met grey, neither looking away. Malfoy cocked his head to one side, Hermione mimicking his actions without realising. A smirk appeared on Draco's face, before he nodded down to the dungeon passageway before stepping away from the wall and turning to make his way down to the dungeons. His hands were tucked deep into his pockets, his shoulders hunched as though it would stop him from being recognised. Hermione opened her mouth to call after him but was interrupted.

"What in the name of Godric Gryffindor happened there Hermione Jean Granger?"

"I actually don't know Ginny. But I had better go and see what he wants. If I'm not in the Great Hall in half an hour send an alert out." With a flash of a smile towards her friend she fled after the blond haired Slytherin.

The deeper she got underground the colder it became. She bundled her robes around her even more, trying to absorb the warmth they had once contained. Rounding a corner she finally spotted Malfoy leaning against the wall next to a door.

"About time Granger." He drawled, the toes of his shoes drawing unseeable patterns on the floor.

"What do you want Malfoy? I'm busy." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, one of her hands closing around her wand that was hidden inside a secret pocket inside of her robes.

"It didn't look like it. Standing at the bottom of the stairs is the new busy is it Granger?" His sarcasm was not appreciated, the glare she had on her face evident of this thought.

"Again, what do you want Malfoy?" Malfoy sighed, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a key. Hermione's glare turned into a look of confusion as he turned to the door and unlocked it. He stepped inside the room and waited.

"You coming in or not?" Hermione took a heaitant step forward. Her brain was screaming at her to turn around and run back to the main hall, back to safety. But her heart was beating a different tune. Her feet carried her through the door and into a surprisingly familiar room. The walls held shelves upon shelves of bottled objects, some housing pickled body parts, others newts eyes, some plants and vegetables. Potions ingredients.

"Why are we in Snapes' office Malfoy? I thought it was destroyed." Draco winced at Snapes' name. He obviously had not heard it in a while, but recovered quickly.

"This room is warded against many things Granger, and one of those wards is not being able to enter without the key. Severus gave it to me before I left for Easter last year. He does not want the items in this office to go to the Ministry. But enough about that. I want to show you something." Hermione raised her eyebrows. The last time Draco had said that to someone they ended up dead. She knew it was an unintentional death, but it still made her body chill in fear.

"I'm not going to kill you Hermione." The words made Hermione freeze. One hand halfway to her face to stroke a strand of hair back behind her ear. "Your facial expression says it all. I know you read my case file when I was being trialed."

Hermione opened her mouth to respond but snapped it shut seconds later. After a pause, she tried again but the words she wanted to say were lodged in the back of her throat. "What?" She finally managed to squeak minutes later, causing Malfoy to smirk.

"I'm not going to kill you Granger. I want to show you some of my memories." Hermione had unfrozen herself and went to cut in with a remark, but Malfoy carried on before she could say anything. "I know, it's a weird thing to say, but there are some things you need to understand. I'm limited to how much magic I can use at the moment, and I also have to prove I am reforming as a person. I am not going to change Granger, but persuading you that I am sorry is going to be one way of me showing the Ministry that they can trust me and my family again. I don't care for Elf rights, or believe that everybody should be treated equally, but I can learn to accept that times are changing. So please, just watch my memories and help me."

"I don't know what to say Malfoy." Hermione whispered. "You have essentially just told me that I should not be treated as an equal witch to those who are Pure Bloods, but you want me to help show you are changing as a person?" Draco nodded.

"If you watch my memories you will see how I am changing as a person. Please Hermione. This is the only thing I will ever ask of you then we can go back to ignoring each other like we have so far this year. Please."

Hermione moves her eyes away from the wall she had been staring at throughout the confrontation to look into Draco's grey eyes. Scared, honesty and loneliness screamed at her from the pools of grey before she diverted her gaze. She caved.

"Fine. But know this Malfoy, after this, we do not talk again, understood?" Again, Draco nodded then pointed at the Pensive that was laying on the old Headmaster's desk in his oldest office. Hermione wondered how Malfoy had gotten hold of it as Harry had told her that it had been up in the Head's office for as long as he knew, but decided not to question it. She walked slowly over to the awaiting Pensive then glanced at Draco. If you did not know him, you would think that he was not nervous about what was going to happen next, but Hermione noticed. He was tapping his little finger against his leg. She had seen him do it so many times over the years that she knew it was his indication for being nervous. "Are you coming with me or are you staying here?"

"Do you want me to come with you?" Hermione grumbled under her breath. Why did he have to answer a question with a question. It made things more complicated.

"I'll go first. If you come after me, I'll know your answer." She lent over the Pensive, sucked in a deep breath and pushed her head into the surface of the memory. Seconds later her feet left the ground and she was falling into Malfoy's memories.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter Characters. Bless J.K. Rowling for making our lives better. **

The first memory unfolded as soon as Hermione landed. Bedposts and other pieces of furniture appeared out of thin air, the room evidently eligent and well looked after. The four poster bed was made out of dark wood, carved precisely with serpent snaking their way around each of the posts. The bed was placed in the middle of the room, bedside cabinets flanking each side. A set of patio doors to the beds left leading onto a balcony, the door slightly ajar, voices floating through the door with the breeze. On one of the chests of drawers stood a mirror, boxes of jewels placed neatly next to it. This room belonged to someone important. Someone with wealth.

"This is my parents bedroom." The voice made Hermione jump, but she did not turn around. "I am hidden under the bed. I was seven at the time. Listen to what my parents are saying out on the balcony."

Hermione strained her ears to try and hear what was being said, but only whispers could be heard. Hesitantly, she stepped closer to the open doors wondering if she was making a mistake. But her curiosity had spiked. What exactly did Malfoy want to show her that would show he was a reformed person?

"...Lucius, it makes no sense. Melinda and Corvus were with her all day." Hermione did not need to be told who the voice belonged to. Not only had Draco just told her that his parents were on the balcony, but Narcissa Malfoy's voice was not hard to forget. Only within the last year had her voice become so recognisable, but once Hermione knew a voice, it was hard for it to be erased, regardless of the circumstances that made the voice be imprinted into her brain.

"The girl was taken whilst they slept, but how the wards around the Warwick's home did not detect an intruder is truly worrying." Lucius Malfoy's voice was cold and sharp, but the tiny hint of worry in his tone made Hermione remember that he was a human being and not just someone who had killed in the past without a second thought.

"She is the same age as Draco. She would have been eight near the end of the month. Why take a child at this age when they can remember everything, not at a younger age?" There was a slight pause before a gasp was heard. "Lucius, what if-"

"Definitely not Narcissa. Stop being so foolish. How would that have been possible? He is dead!" A had slammed against the metal railings on the balcony, a squeak of surprise coming from Draco's Mother. "And the girl will not remember anything. We are of Pure Magical Blood Narcissa, as is the girl. She would have had a Memory Charm placed on her, and a strong one." There was another lapse of silence, the wind in the trees all that could be heard.

Questions filled Hermione's head. Who was the little girl they were talking about? Why was this little girl taken? Was the little girl alive? Why was Malfoy even showing her this memory? Hermione turned to ask Draco, but he shook his head and placed a finger against his mouth as an indication to stay quiet. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. It was not like they could be heard by the people in the memory, so why stay quiet? All that would happen was that question after question would come spewing out of Hermione's mouth the moment they landed back in Professor Snape's office.

"The Warwick's have another daughter, Cassiopeia. Why not her instead of their eldest? And surely one of their House Elves would have been with the girls all night. It is unlike the Warwick's to leave either of their girls alone for one second without them being watched. Especially as their eldest is showing her first signs of Magic. Apparently out of anger she made a whole bookshelf collapse onto one of their House Elves because she was not allowed some of the treacle tart that was made for them a few weeks ago." Hermione raised her eyebrows. Showing signs of Magic at the age of seven is unheard of. Most children with Magical blood show signs at the age of ten, a year before they were set to go off to Hogwarts or their school of choice. However, Pure Blood children did tend to show signs at the age of nine instead of ten, but seven? Extremely rare.

Hermione remembered her first time of showing Magic, not understanding what it was. Her parents had taken her to Central London for the day for her tenth birthday and after begging and pleading for what must have been hours, her parents finally allowed her to go to Waterstones in Piccadilly Circus. She was so excited that as she ran up the stairs to from the ground floor to get to the third floor where the children's books were located, she suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs on the third floor without actually running up the stairs. She was so confused as to what had happened she began to cry, getting extremely odd looks from the other customers as well as a very big telling off from her parents for running off.

"Dobby!" Hermione snapped back to the memory, realising she had missed some of the conversation that Malfoy had chosen to show her. Hopefully she had not missed anything important. A pop and a whimper could be heard, along with an unintelligible mumble that Hermione could not understand as it was so quiet. "You will stay with Draco every night along with any other orders you are given. Understood?" Another mumble, this time longer, followed by a squeal of hurt and surprise. "Do not question me you imbecile!" A 'thwack' could be heard, this time louder, which Hermione guessed was Lucius Malfoy using his cane to hit poor Dobby around the head. A louder squeal than the first followed. "Get back to the kitchen and be sure to punish yourself for questioning your Master!" A pop was heard. "That Elf needs to be punished more Narcissa, it is becoming-" Hermione ignored what was being said and turned to face Draco, ready to unleash some unkind words and tell him about Elf Rights and S.P.E.W but the memory was already beginning to fade, blackness enclosing itself around her.

* * *

Blackness. Hermione blinked and rubbed her eyes but it stayed dark. She was sure she was in another Memory because she could hear someone shouting Draco's name from afar, so he must have been hiding. She felt another person's presence with her and could only assume it was Malfoy's by the way the person was standing. She never realised how tall he was until he was stood right next to her like this. A warm, strong muscular arm was against hers as she leaned back hesitantly and found there was a solid wall behind them.

"Draco Malfoy, where are you? You show yourself right now young man before your punishment becomes more than no dessert!" Lucius Malfoy's voice was louder and angrier than before and extremely close. She was hiding in a cupboard along with both Draco's. Hermione chuckled. How original. Both Draco's remained silent.

"Have you still not found him?" Narcissa's voice was full of worry. Hermione wondered how old memory Draco was. Surely in a mansion the size of Malfoy Manor he went 'missing' all the time.

"He has been home from his first term at Hogwarts for two days and he has yet to show me any respect. Do they not teach the brats anything anymore? I told you we should have sent him to Durmstrang." Eleven. Memory Draco was eleven. Four years had passed since the other memory of the missing girl.

"Lucius, the boy has not seen us in person for over twelve weeks. Of course he is going to be talkative and excited to be home. Even you are more talkative than normal after spending the evening with Crabbe and Goyle Senior. Let the boy calm down. He will be on his best behaviour for the ball on Christmas Eve. The Parkinson's will be there, as well as the Greengrass's. You can start discussing the contracts then. It will please both families to be in the running for the contract. I'm sure if the eldest Warwick child was to be alive we would have discussed her as well."

Lucius Malfoy let out a breath, along with a sigh. "You are right. I'm sure Draco would have been in competition with the Warwick child as well as the Mudblood Granger that he keeps complaining about. I have told him time and time again that he needs to get higher scores than her! It is Granger this and Granger that all the time. Is our Son incapable of talking about anything else Narcissa?" Mrs Malfoy let out a low chuckle before abruptly stopping.

"You know very well that he is capable of talking about other subjects Lucius. Quidditch for one, potions as well as politics. Was that not what were you discussing on the morning of his departure for Hogwarts? I'm sure Severus has also drilled more potions talk into his brain on top of what he is meant to learn in class. Just because you do not like the Granger girl does not mean that Draco is incapable of talking about anything else. It is all you chose to hear when you talk to him."

Hermione was stunned. She had no idea that Malfoy even mentioned her to his parents before the end of their first year when she, Ron and Harry had defeated Voldemort for the first time and discovered that he was still 'alive', if you could call it that. As best as Hermione could remember, she had beaten Malfoy at every test given to them and every homework assignment within the term bar two; their first ever Potions essay and their second Defence Against the Dark Arts essay. She had still been second in their year for those essays, but she had come second to Draco Malfoy. A the time, it had made Hermione very depressed and she had begged both Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell to let her re-do the assigned essay, but she was told no by both teachers. Well, answers that equalled no when you took out all the insults from Professor Snape's answer, and the stutters from Professor Quirrell's.

"Yes, Granger is Muggle-born," Narcissa continued, "but you have to remember, one of my closest friends is a Muggle." Hermione gasped, turning to look at Draco in the darkness of the cupboard they were hidden in. She went to open her mouth to ask whether Naricissa was aware that her son knew of her friend now, but was stopped. "Emmeline Bridgewater is a remarkable woman and has shaped quite a bit of the Muggle community in rural Herefordshire. You do not have to like her, or the fact that she is a Muggle, but you cannot stop me from seeing her Lucius. Just like you cannot stop Draco from complaining about her to you. Support our Son in his decisions, not override his ambitions by telling him what to do."

As the memory began to fade, and she felt the pull of herself floating back to reality, Hermione knew why that memory was so important. Hermione had heard of the death of Emmeline Bridgewater the next summer, the dark mark found floating over her house in the Herefordshire town of Weobley. Lucius Malfoy had gone against Narcissa's words and advice, not only being apart of the corporation that killed one of her closest friends, but controlled Draco down to the last moment of the war, just before it was too late.


End file.
